Alfa Romeo 4C

Alfa Romeo 4C Concept

Alfa has always designed beautiful cars, but its iconic automobiles have a tendency to be overshadowed by stablemates Ferrari and Maserati. The latest concept to emerge from the Alfa camp, however, shines just as brightly as anything its supercar brothers can come up with.

The Alfa 4C Concept, an ongoing design project due to go on sale next year, boasts a new “fluid metal” exterior that, the designers claim, adds to the already-smooth lines of the coupe. Read: It makes it look even cooler.The unveiling of the new paint job in Frankfurt next month also marks the confirmation of the performance figures expected to feature in next year’s model. The 0-60 mph speed is expected to come in at under five seconds and carry on past 155 mph with ease. The weight of the car, a sprightly 850 kg, thanks to heavy use of carbon and aluminum, means the power-to-weight ratio (less than 4kg per horsepower) is equivalent to the supercars produced by Ferrari.

Alfa has also announced the 4C will come with a DNA system that allows the driver to alter the throttle and suspension according to his or her needs.

Could the 4C be an early contender for car of 2012? We certainly think so.